This invention is related to a method of controlling a computer and, more particularly, to a method for automatically eliciting a response from a remote site disposed on a network from the activation of a sensor at a first site.
With the growing numbers of computer users connecting to the xe2x80x9cInternet,xe2x80x9d many companies are seeking the substantial commercial opportunities presented by such a large user base. For example, one technology which exists allows a television (xe2x80x9cTVxe2x80x9d) signal to trigger a computer response in which the consumer will be guided to a personalized web page. The source of the triggering signal may be a TV, video tape recorder, or radio. For example, if a viewer is watching a TV program in which an advertiser offers viewer voting, the advertiser may transmit a unique signal within the television signal which controls a program known as a xe2x80x9cbrowserxe2x80x9d on the viewer""s computer to automatically display the advertiser""s web page. The viewer then simply makes a selection which is then transmitted back to the advertiser.
In order to provide the viewer with the capability of responding to a wide variety of companies using this technology, a database of company information and Uniform Resource Locator (xe2x80x9cURLxe2x80x9d) codes is necessarily maintained in the viewer""s computer, requiring continuous updates. URLs are short strings of data that identify resources on the Internet: documents, images, downloadable files, services, electronic mailboxes, and other resources. URLs make resources available under a variety of naming schemes and access methods such as HTTP, FTP, and Internet mail, addressable in the same simple way. URLs reduce the tedium of xe2x80x9clogin to this server, then issue this magic command . . . xe2x80x9d down to a single click. The Internet uses URLs to specify the location of files on other servers. A URL includes the type of resource being accessed (e.g., Web, gopher, FTP), the address of the server, and the location of the file. The URL can point to any file on any networked computer. Current technology requires the viewer to perform periodic updates to obtain the most current URL database. This aspect of the current technology is cumbersome since the update process requires downloading information to the viewer""s computer. Moreover, the likelihood for error in performing the update, and the necessity of redoing the update in the event of a later computer crash, further complicates the process. Additionally, current technologies are limited in the number of companies which may be stored in the database. This is a significant limitation since world-wide access presented by the Internet and the increasing number of companies connecting to perform on-line commerce necessitates a large database.
The present invention disclosed and claimed herein is a method for controlling a computer via an interactive doll having one or more sensors contained therein. The one or more sensors are operable to trigger output of a signal from the doll in response to the one or more sensors being activated by physical stimuli of a user. A processor located with the user and the doll at a first node of a global communication network processes the signal. The processor is operable to link the signal with one or more remote nodes also located on the global communication network. The one or more remote nodes return information to the processor for presentation to the user, in response to the one or more sensors being activated. dr
For a more complete understanding of the present invention and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of the preferred embodiment;
FIG. 2 illustrates the computer components employed in this embodiment;
FIG. 3 illustrates system interactions over a global network;
FIGS. 4a-4e illustrate the various message packets transmitted between the source PC and network servers used in the preferred embodiment;
FIG. 5 is a flowchart depicting operation of the system according to the preferred embodiment;
FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of actions taken by the Advertiser Reference Server (xe2x80x9cARSxe2x80x9d) server;
FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart of the interactive process between the source computer and ARS;
FIG. 8 illustrates a web browser page receiving the modified URL/advertiser product data according to the preferred embodiment;
FIG. 9 illustrates a simplified block diagram of the disclosed embodiment;
FIG. 10 illustrates a more detailed, simplified block diagram of the embodiment of FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 illustrates a diagrammatic view of a method for performing the routing operation;
FIG. 12 illustrates a block diagram of an alternate embodiment utilizing an optical region in the video image for generating the routing information;
FIG. 13 illustrates a block diagram illustrating the generation of a profile with the disclosed embodiment;
FIG. 14 illustrates a flowchart for generating the profile and storing the profile at the ARS;
FIG. 15 illustrates a flowchart for processing the profile information when information is routed to a user;
FIGS. 16 and 16a illustrates a block diagram of an interactive doll according to a disclosed embodiment;
FIG. 17 illustrates a flowchart of the operation of the interactive doll;
FIG. 18 illustrates a message packet assembled by the computer in response to receiving a tonal signal from the interactive doll;
FIG. 19 illustrates a flowchart of the overall operation of the disclosed architecture from the perspective of the computer; and
FIG. 20 illustrates a flowchart of an alternative embodiment where a remote site takes additional action in response to receiving a message from the interactive doll.